An Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, has appointed his 3rd Minister for Agriculture, Food and The Marine since he took hold off office in June 2020. Charlie McConalogue takes the ministerial brief following the departure of Dara Calleary in August, he took the role from Barry Cowen in July. President Micheal D. Higgins appointed Mr. McConalogue as Minister on Wednesday the 2nd of September, 2020, presenting him with is Seal of Office.
Just 17 days as Taoiseach and Micheal Martin has announced a reshuffle of his cabinet team. The President (Micheal D. Higgins) provided Daragh Calleary with his seal of office as the Minister for Agriculture. This follows the fall out from Barry Cowen's drink driving admission. Jack Chambers takes over as Government Chief Whip and Minster of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport.
The Minister for Agriculture, Barry Cowen, has been stepped down by An Taoiseach, Michéal Martin. Last week it was reported that the Minister had been banned for drink driving on a provisional license in 2016. He made a speech in the Dáil soon after the story emerged, however on Sunday (12th July, 2020) The Sunday Time provided more information on the controversy, including that he\'d tried to avoid a Garda checkpoint on the day in question.
As part of on going investigations The Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) with the assistance of officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) are conducting planned searches at locations in Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Westmeath and Kilkenny.
The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, T.D., announced the Irish government’s implementation of the Scottish Derogation Provision of the EU's Basic Payment Scheme. The minister outline how many farmers could not establish their entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme and as such do not hold an Allocation Right under the New Scheme. This would have left many farmers under "significant disadvantage" according to the Minister. The Irish government have stated that they have been able to negotiate the implementation of the "Scottish Derogation" with the EU Commission.
The promotion of Irish food this Christmas continues as the Brussels Sprouts are into harvest. Demand over the coming weeks will increase for the traditional vegetable on most Christmas dinners. With one north county Dublin farmer saying that 33% of the total crop will be harvested during the month of December to meet the demand. Minister of State, Tom Hayes, at the Department of Agriculture visited Enda Weldon's farm in north County Dublin this week as part of a wider promotion of the consumption Irish vegetables by Irish consumers.
